Commissioner challenges 'false' rumor about 911 center

Maria Flora, The Lebanon Reporter, Ind.
·2 min read

May 7—Boone County Commissioner Jeff Wolfe on Monday addressed a recent rumor circulating about the county's 911 dispatch center that is now under construction.

The rumor that commissioners did not consider needs of the 911 center in planning the county's new $60 million justice complex is "absolutely fabricated," Wolfe said.

Commissioners and then sheriff Mike Nielsen planned to improve the communications center in the new jail to serve for 10-15 years, Wolfe said.

"But we know at the end of that time, we're going to need to expand that system even further," because the county is growing, Wolfe said. "And best practices across this country have told us that we should take the communication center out to a separate building."

"The communications center was definitely included in the plan," Boone County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Mike Beard agreed with Wolfe on Monday.

And once construction began on the new justice center, Sheriff Tony Harris and staff realized a few tweaks to the plan would be a cost effective way to add more years to the life of the call center, Beard told commissioners Monday.

Whitestown, Zionsville and Lebanon "are all growing by leaps and bounds, and that's putting a lot of pressure on our communication center, which is why we need improvements," Beard said. "And we know years from now we're going to need something bigger, but it was absolutely planned for."

The project that broke ground in spring of 2023 is, thus far, ahead of schedule and under budget.

The infirmary and kitchen at the new $60 million Boone County Justice Center are nearing completion, Commissioners learned Monday.

Work has begun in the new juvenile detention area, and framing will soon begin in the Boone County Coroner's quarters, Boone County Project Manager Mike Nielsen told commissioners.

Robert Clutter, the commissioners' attorney, submitted statements Monday for expenses related to the new jail's construction, furnishings, and 911 dispatch center.

The expenses include, in rounded numbers:

* $31,500 for hardware including locks;

* $400,500 for detention furniture that includes chairs, beds, bunk beds, desks, stools, and benches;

* $35,700 for kitchen appliances including 11 refrigerators, three ranges, and two dishwashers;

* $91,000 for dispatch demolition and construction;

* $7,700 for a dispatch center redesign;

* $24,900 for three evidence refrigerators; and

* $5,250 for a stainless steel table package.